2018 draws to a close, and I can’t really say I’ll miss it. However one of the best highlights from the last year was reading so many amazing books. Every year I compiled a list of the novels I’ve read over the last 365 days. Everything I this list was pleasure reading, I tend to skip listing research books.

“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.”

—Stephen King

This list correlates with my Goodreads reading challenge but is always a few books longer since I can’t list the books I beta read on Goodreads. Overall, I’m pleased with myself this year. I surpassed my goal (thirty-five) and ended up reading the most books in a single year I’ve ever read.

Since this list is always enormous, l forgo reviews. However, follow me on Goodreads where I do occasionally leave reviews. As before, all links will go to Amazon as a default, but if one of these books sound interesting to you, then I encourage you to visit your local independent bookstore and purchase through them. It’s vital for your local economy to buy local whenever you’re able.

🏆 Favorite Novel of 2018:

A wild trip of a ride. A cyber-punkish exploration of addiction and depravity, but told through the technicolored language of beauty and desire. I was stunned. I couldn’t put it down and months later I still find myself hankering for a jam fix and dreaming of feathers.

🏅 Favorite Novel Runners-up of 2018:

A Note: This was so hard. I mean seriously, picking two runners-up was nearly impossible this year. I read that many good books. That said, while Vurt eventually won out there were two others in serious contention.

A masterpiece of modern cosmic horror that grounds itself in humanity. The setting and characters are captivating and unique to the genre. The result is a surprisingly deep novella that recasts cosmic horror’s themes with raw originality. I was enthralled.

Any attempt to encapsulate Side Life in a small review will ultimately do it an injustice. It is a book of facets, and each reflects a theme as varied as the realities explored within its pages. A study on love, loss, and family, an introspection on humanity, reality, and self-identity. Utterly tragic and yet ultimately hopeful.

🎈 Honorable Mentions

This year was different than previous years so I have a few other Honorable Mentions. These are books that resonated with me long after I had finished them and they deserve a little callout. In no particular order…

So, that’s my list! Overall, I’m content with my reading for the year. It’s been a blast to lose myself in so many imaginative worlds and discover new and fresh perspectives on life and humanity. Books are a gateway and one I am eager to step through—so thanks, 2018. Here’s to more books in 2019!

Are you looking for a good book? Want to see my reading lists from previous years? Check any of the links below and see what I was reading in the bygone halcyon days.

Next year, why not join me? Goodreads does a reading challenge every year, and I am an active participant. First, follow me on Goodreads(leave me a review while you’re there), and once the New Year arrives, participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2018.

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. SIGN UP TODAY →

The latest in Matt Nelson’s hilarious piratey comic series has arrived with Catbeard Book Five: Poopdecks & Pawprints! Once again we can all set sail with Catbeard and the crew of the Fearsome Roar, and I couldn’t be more excited. If you haven’t read Catbeard, you should rectify that immediately. (New storyline begins November 17th.) It’s hilarious, and these days it’s a nice respite from the absurd chaos reality throws at us.

Matt Nelson’s Catbeard Book V: Poopdeck & Pawprints

I’m also in this book! I was honored to be asked to write the forward for this one and I jumped at the chance. Plus it meant Matt would do an illustration of me! He gave me the option to have a standard portrait, or he offered to draw me as a gibbering Lovecraftian monstrosity. Clearly, I made the correct choice.

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. SIGN UP TODAY →

Can you feel it? The end of a year approaches. That means it’s time to revisit all the books I’ve read over the last year. As always most of this list correlates with my Goodreads reading challenge. (See my Goodreads Year in Books here.) It’s always a bit longer here because I can’t list any of the beta readings I do for friends.

I had no challenge this year. Which was great. There’s a lot of books on this list that I had been saving after the last few challenges. It was nice to be able to work through the proverbial nightstand pile. One minor note, there’s are a few books on here I’d consider novellas. Usually, they wouldn’t make the cut or they’d be shifted to another list, but I am keeping them this year. I read a few enormous tomes, so I feel they balance things out.

Since this list is always enormous, l forgo reviews. However, follow me on Goodreads where I do occasionally leave reviews. I call out some of my favorites of the year at the end of each list. As before, all links will go to Amazon as a default, but if one of these books sound interesting to you, then I encourage you to visit your local independent bookstore and purchase through them. It’s vital for your local economy to buy local whenever you’re able.

🏆 Favorite Novel of 2017:

I can understand why The Golem and the Jinni took so long to write. (Apparently, ten years.) It’s captivating. Wecker’s command of language is stunning. The story is a classic American tale exploring the immigrant experience through the eyes of two people who are both similar and yet unlike anyone else. A must read.

🏅 Favorite Novel Runners-up of 2017:

This was recommended to me by a friend, and I am so glad I picked it up. The weird west is fast becoming one of my favorite genres. Its worldbuilding is superb and its characters fantastic. The conflict between the Line and the Gun is well realized. I was hooked and loved every moment I spent with its pages.

It has magic and fairies and English gentlemen magicians. Its characters are fully realized, its plot more intricate than most novels, and all of this is handled with a deft hand. (Oh, Clarke’s use of language is divine.) A love letter to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and England.

Picking this was difficult this year. There are so many others I could have named as runners-up but tradition dictates I only pick two. Sorry other books and authors of aforementioned other books, thems the rules.

🏆 Favorite Graphic Novel of 2017:

Rat Queens is a traditional D&D fantasy-style book, but it’s not the setting that’s so engaging. It’s its characters. Every single one is delightful in their own particular way. Hannah, Violet (my fav), Betty, and Dee are complex, and that complexity makes this book shine.

🏅 Favorite Graphic Novel Runners-up of 2017:

A story of guilt, loss, and humanity. The Winchester House is a strange place. This book explores Sarah Winchester’s motives behind the building of the infamous house. The art is gorgeous, if not a bit difficult. Violence should never be easy to confront, and House of Penance refuses to glorify.

So, this is a bit cheat, since Sandman has long been one of my favorite comic series of all time. But I needed to include it here. Gaiman’s book is still as delightful as it was when I first read it. Dream’s quest to regain his stolen possessions still serve as an excellent catalyst for a fantastic journey.

So there’s my list for 2017! I read a lot of amazing books and some really great graphic novels. (Sadly, no short stories this year.) I have no reading challenges in 2018. So, I plan on continuing with my escapism theme for the foreseeable future.

Are you looking for a good book? Want to see my reading lists from previous years? Check any of the links below and see what I was reading in the bygone halcyon days.

Next year, why not join me? Goodreads does a reading challenge every year, and I am an active participant. First, follow me on Goodreads(leave me a review while you’re there), and once the New Year arrives, participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2018.

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. SIGN UP TODAY →

Friday is here. That mean it’s time to share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Enough prattle! Let’s get to it…

Top 10 Social Media Marketing No-Nos For Authors
I posted this on Twitter and I was really excited to share it here as well. Author Anne R. Allen goes into detail about what NOT to do on social media. Every author needs to read this, and then re-read it, and then memorize it. I can’t tell you how many times I see authors breaking these rules on the internet.

Three Recent Reviews
My books have slowly begun popping up on review blogs. In this post I highlight some quotes from three recent reviews. I really appreciate folks taking the time to do this. If you have read my books please consider taking the time to write an honest review. They not only help us indie authors, but also help your fellow reader.

Art:

Photos From The Blade Runner Model Shop
Check out the work that went into the creation of the models used in Ridley Scott‘s sci-fi Blade Runner. (Easily one of my favorite movies.) The level of detail is equal to that of the models we saw for the Stars Wars sets I featured in a past Link Pack. Bonus: there’s even some Star Wars models USED in Blade Runner. See if you can’t find them in these pictures.

Barbara Bernat’s Euro Redesign
This beautiful redesign of the euro combines elegant type with beautiful imagery and makes someone rethink the idea of currency. Now… what can we do to get her to redesign the U.S. dollar. [Thanks to Kari-Lise for sending this one my way.]

Random:

Lighten Up
This beautiful piece by cartoonist Ronald Wimberly discusses whitewashing. The subtle change in a persons skintone to appeal to white people. It’s something that is prevalent in comics, and advertising, and books, and so many more industries. I really appreciated his thoughts. [Thanks to Steve for sharing.]

Carbon 3D
3D Printing is coming along in a big way over the last few years. It’s clear that it will fundamentally change our world. Carbon 3D just upped the game.

Never Trust A Corporation To Do A Library’s Job
As Google’s priorities change, what happens to the data they wanted to organize and catalog? Internet archivists are now stepping in to save our collective memory. An important look at archives, libraries, and how corporations have much different priorities. [Thanks to Dave for pointing me at this.]

Random Wikipedia Article of the Week:

The Emu War
In the attempt to curb the population of emus Australia employed soldiers armed with machine guns—leading the media to adopt the name “Emu War” when referring to the incident.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Picture In The House
One of the first stories to introduce readers to Lovecraft country. This is also where we first hear about Arkham and the Miskatonic Valley.

I always have a queue for the books I am reading. Anytime something strikes my fancy I buy it and add it to the stack or else I’ll forget and then miss out. Well, my pile has grown larger and I thought it be fun to share some of my recent acquisitions:

Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction
Hawkeye had always been a fringe hero and kind of worthless in my opinion. (Sorry die-hard Hawkeye fans… all six of you.) However word on the street is Matt Fraction‘s treatment is amazing, hilarious, and a must read that completely revitalizes the character. Okay. I ain’t going to lie… I read this the moment I got home. Everything I wrote was true. If you read comics pick this up.

So that’s the most recent editions to my queue. These three will be joining the seven other in the stack. What’s about you? Bought anything good lately? Anything you’re excited about? Leave a comment and let me know! I’m always looking for a good book.

As writer I love seeing the different ways people interpret these characters. I posted this piece before, and as I said last year there’s a lot going on that I really like: Wal’s tattoos, to Samantha’s robes, Josh’s take on Wensem, and even the details in the world around the cast: from the open sewer to the strange writing on the storefront window.

I really want this to become a weekly series. So I plan on starting to highlight art from “The Stars Were Right” fans and readers and sharing it with all of you! If you have any submissions please email them to me at: hello@kmalexander.com with the subject line: “Stars Art Highlight.” Include any links to a website showing your work so I can share that as well and let me know if people can buy your piece/prints/etc.

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